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Listen in as Gerry Oginski, an experienced NY Bike Accident Lawyer practicing law in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Long Island, Nassau & Suffolk explains what happened when a woman opened her car door, and "doored" Gerry during his bicycle ride. For more info go to http://www.oginski-law.com or call Gerry personally at 516-487-8207.

Learn from Gerry Oginski, an experienced NY Accident lawyer practicing in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, Nassau, Suffolk & Long Island what a lawyer looks for when evaluating a grocery store accident case. For more information go to http://www.oginski-law.com or call Gerry personally at 516-487-8207.

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney says women have achieved equality in jobs lost.

The economy is complex. The Bush administration has managed to disconnect the economy from the lives of everyday. This has been going on for some time. Wall Street had been booming for years while the income of average Americans was stuck in neutral. Jobs are down. Wages are falling. I will not even go into the Housing market because we are familiar that. Although GDP hasn t fallen, it isn t going up either. So, while the Fox guys are sort of correct about the definition of a recession, they are, of course, shading the truth. 2 quarters of a negative GDP was the old definition but it has been changed. The NBER Business Cycle Dating Committee defines a recession as a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real GDP, real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales. Paul Krugman said it very well a couple of months ago - The point is that the official definition of recession has become delinked from peoples’ actual experience. Right now, we’re in an economy with deteriorating employment and incomes, collapsing home prices, and business retrenchment. Is it also an economy in recession? Who cares? ShareThis

Listen in as Gerry Oginski, an experienced New York personal injury & accident lawyer explains why a NY lawyer wants your accident case. Learn how a lawyer found out about your car, truck, bus or bicycle accident. Find out what you should do when a lawyer sends you a letter asking you to sign with his law firm. For more information, go to http://www.oginski-law.com or call Gerry personally at 516-487-8207.

Listen in as Gerry Oginski, an experienced New York personal injury & accident lawyer explains why a NY lawyer wants your accident case. Learn how a lawyer found out about your car, truck, bus or bicycle accident. Find out what you should do when a lawyer sends you a letter asking you to sign with his law firm. For more information, go to http://www.oginski-law.com or call Gerry personally at 516-487-8207.

Exectutive director of the Libertarian Party of Texas Wes Benedict & National Communications Director for Americans for Fair Taxation Ken Hoagland debate the FairTax

Learn how Gerry Oginski, an experienced NY accident and injury lawyer practicing law in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, Nassau & Suffolk helped a woman who fractured her femur from falling on black ice in a parking lot. Find out what this client thought of Gerry and his law firm. For more information go to http://www.oginski-law.com or call Gerry personally at 516-487-8207.

Learn what you need to know if you slip and fall in New York. Listen in as Gerry Oginski, an experienced NY Accident attorney practicing law in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, Nassau & Suffolk explains what an attorney looks for to determine if you have a valid case. For more information, go to http://www.oginski-law.com or call Gerry at 516-487-8207.

BusinessWeek's Pete Engardio tells John A. Byrne that American industry may not be ready to take advantage of the mainland's dulled manufacturing edge

Bill Moyers Journal analyzes the growing inequality gap on the ground in Los Angeles where recently union workers marched to bring attention to how they are getting squeezed out of the shrinking middle class.

The highlights are: A. Barack Obama's promises to Israel that he may have a difficult time honoring in the future. B. Barack Obama fires first salvo across John McCain's economic bow while only receiving harmless smoke and mirrors in return. Obama has successfully pinned the Bush administration's economic woes on McCain like a tail on the donkey. From our view, he wears it well. C. Country bracing for higher fuel and food prices as farmers fear modest crops this year. With Ben Bernanke signaling an end to rate cuts to stem inflation, the country is in for a rough ride.

Barack Obama, the nominee of the Democratic Party as of last night’s final primary contest, awakens this morning to the nightmare of a shotgun wedding with Hillary Clinton as his running mate. After clearing every hurdle to achieve what no person of color, man or woman has in the history of American politics, he now has to find a way to placate a bunch of self-centered losers from forcible glomming on to his success. Hillary Clinton failed to do the right thing, the stand up thing, and the proper thing by congratulating Barack Obama on winning the needed number of delegates to capture the nomination. Intentionally, she snatched the door open to hijack her way back into the White House by hanging on to Obama’s coattails. Somehow, she has deluded herself and the fringe element within her core support that the Obama camp gives a rat’s ass about what she wants. America is a country that loves a winner and shuns its losers. There is little room for disgruntled second place finishers.

As much as we hate rats and rat bastards, many times it is the only way to get to the truth. This is especially true when the government and the power that runs it is involved. Scott McClellan’s new book "What Happened" leveled the hammer big time on the Bush administration without mercy, leaving Karl Rove’s ass hanging in the wind. With John Conyers, heading up the House Judiciary Committee shoving a subpoena up Karl’s butt to force some conversation, conversation that Karl and the rest of the White House crew has been thumbing their noses at, maybe the tool needed to give Rove the tight screw he has coming. To date Karl has been playing the executive privileged game saying he and his “Boyz” are above it all. But this well timed book release is forcing the all the ugly and largely ignored stories of what was really going on behind the scenes that led this country to war at a time that has to have Karl “The Pillsbury Dough Boy” shitting bricks

Returning from any three-day weekend generally leaves some of us a little sluggish and lacking that creative spark. Fortunately for me, an anonymous comment left at the blog gave me the spark for today’s podcast. Our last podcast posting covered the possibility of worldwide despair due to global disasters along with food and fuel shortages topped off with domestic and international economic downturns that last beyond our comfort zones and levels of measurable tolerance. We also mentioned that because of said poor economic outlook and global catastrophes many would be lucky to have a backyard to have a backyard Bar BQ in this year. Based on most reports from airline hotels and restaurants many did just that and stayed close to home.

Union Groups Call For Use of Local Workers on Project FLORIDA, NY — Chanting "local jobs for local people," more than 50 union members from across the region rallied Monday to ask Beech-Nut and the Montgomery County Industrial Development Agency to hire union labor. The rally took place immediately preceding the latest town Planning Board meeting to discuss Beech-Nut's permits to build in the Florida Business Park on Route 5S. Union members packed the parking lot and carried signs asking for IDA reform and asking Beech-Nut not to hire out-of-state workers. Speakers took to the podium and talked with union members about the importance of keeping contract jobs local. Union leaders had been organizing the rally since learning Beech-Nut awarded a construction contract to Buckner Steel in North Carolina. New York state is providing Beech-Nut with $104.5 million in funding for the project, causing many at the meeting to question the awarding of a contract for the project to an out-of-state company. Frank Natalie of the Schenectady Central Labor Council said the awarding of the contracts to Buckner would mean the loss of 2,200 hours and around $1.1 million to local workers. Democrat Tracey Brooks, who is running for the 21st Congressional District seat being vacated by Michael McNulty at the end of the year, said the IDA needs to pay attention to what's going on in the local community more closely. She said it is a travesty it took a rally to attempt to get Beech-Nut and the IDA to do the right thing. Paul D. Tonko, a former state assemblyman who is expected to run for McNulty's seat, echoed Brooks' statements. He said he supports IDA reform and has tried to pass legislation in the state Assembly. Tonko said he would like Beech-Nut to commit to using union labor during construction and keeping union labor inside the factory. "This project is very important to retain jobs in this area," Tonko said. "But we must keep these jobs union in the facility and in the construction." During the Planning Board meeting, many union members spoke to the board about the importance of hiring local people and the need for the IDA to ensure all money spent in Montgomery County stays there. "I have been a union member for 25 years, and I have never had a job in my own community," said Hagaman resident Thomas Graveley, a member of Carpenters 370. "Getting a job like this would mean I wouldn't have to travel two hours each way to make a living." Mark Sowalski of the Empire Regional Council of Carpenters said he was in favor of the project and would love to see it go through provided they use local workers. Beech-Nut also had a chance to respond to the criticism during the meeting. Project Manager Jim Ivy said the group looked for the best possible candidate for the steel contract. He said company officials looked at safety, quality of work and history of finishing on schedule in making their decision to hire Buckner. Ivy said the group is committed to using local labor to build the new facility. He said they have an aggressive completion schedule that is getting tighter with each day the company isn't breaking ground. He said safety is a top priority for this project. Ivy works for the Facility Group in Symrna, Ga., which was hired by Beech-Nut to do the project. Union members countered they had proof Buckner has had deaths on work sites in the last few years. Iron Workers Business Representative Gary Simmons said the steel contractors he tried to get Beech-Nut to contract with had excellent safety records, but did not get a fair advantage because of the size of Buckner steel. Ivy said all bids have been competitive and open to local businesses. On its part, the Planning Board made no decisions on issuing permits Monday night. The board said some paperwork was not received until today, so the members did not have enough time to look over it. They scheduled a new meeting in order to look over everything until they had thoroughly read all received documents. The next Planning Board meeting will be May 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall, located at 214 Fort Hunter Road. By KERRY McAVOY, The Leader-Herald POSTED: May 6, 2008 Author: voc370 Keywords: UBC United Brotherhood Carpenters Union Iron Workers Labor Building Trades Picket Banner Action Wages Tax Incentives Added: May 9, 2008

Union Groups Call For Use of Local Workers on Project FLORIDA, NY — Chanting "local jobs for local people," more than 50 union members from across the region rallied Monday to ask Beech-Nut and the Montgomery County Industrial Development Agency to hire union labor. The rally took place immediately preceding the latest town Planning Board meeting to discuss Beech-Nut's permits to build in the Florida Business Park on Route 5S. Union members packed the parking lot and carried signs asking for IDA reform and asking Beech-Nut not to hire out-of-state workers. Speakers took to the podium and talked with union members about the importance of keeping contract jobs local. Union leaders had been organizing the rally since learning Beech-Nut awarded a construction contract to Buckner Steel in North Carolina. New York state is providing Beech-Nut with $104.5 million in funding for the project, causing many at the meeting to question the awarding of a contract for the project to an out-of-state company. Frank Natalie of the Schenectady Central Labor Council said the awarding of the contracts to Buckner would mean the loss of 2,200 hours and around $1.1 million to local workers. Democrat Tracey Brooks, who is running for the 21st Congressional District seat being vacated by Michael McNulty at the end of the year, said the IDA needs to pay attention to what's going on in the local community more closely. She said it is a travesty it took a rally to attempt to get Beech-Nut and the IDA to do the right thing. Paul D. Tonko, a former state assemblyman who is expected to run for McNulty's seat, echoed Brooks' statements. He said he supports IDA reform and has tried to pass legislation in the state Assembly. Tonko said he would like Beech-Nut to commit to using union labor during construction and keeping union labor inside the factory. "This project is very important to retain jobs in this area," Tonko said. "But we must keep these jobs union in the facility and in the construction." During the Planning Board meeting, many union members spoke to the board about the importance of hiring local people and the need for the IDA to ensure all money spent in Montgomery County stays there. "I have been a union member for 25 years, and I have never had a job in my own community," said Hagaman resident Thomas Graveley, a member of Carpenters 370. "Getting a job like this would mean I wouldn't have to travel two hours each way to make a living." Mark Sowalski of the Empire Regional Council of Carpenters said he was in favor of the project and would love to see it go through provided they use local workers. Beech-Nut also had a chance to respond to the criticism during the meeting. Project Manager Jim Ivy said the group looked for the best possible candidate for the steel contract. He said company officials looked at safety, quality of work and history of finishing on schedule in making their decision to hire Buckner. Ivy said the group is committed to using local labor to build the new facility. He said they have an aggressive completion schedule that is getting tighter with each day the company isn't breaking ground. He said safety is a top priority for this project. Ivy works for the Facility Group in Symrna, Ga., which was hired by Beech-Nut to do the project. Union members countered they had proof Buckner has had deaths on work sites in the last few years. Iron Workers Business Representative Gary Simmons said the steel contractors he tried to get Beech-Nut to contract with had excellent safety records, but did not get a fair advantage because of the size of Buckner steel. Ivy said all bids have been competitive and open to local businesses. On its part, the Planning Board made no decisions on issuing permits Monday night. The board said some paperwork was not received until today, so the members did not have enough time to look over it. They scheduled a new meeting in order to look over everything until they had thoroughly read all received documents. The next Planning Board meeting will be May 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall, located at 214 Fort Hunter Road. By KERRY McAVOY, The Leader-Herald POSTED: May 6, 2008 Author: voc370 Keywords: UBC United Brotherhood Carpenters Union Iron Workers Labor Building Trades Picket Banner Action Wages Tax Incentives Added: May 9, 2008

Union Groups Call For Use of Local Workers on Project FLORIDA, NY — Chanting "local jobs for local people," more than 50 union members from across the region rallied Monday to ask Beech-Nut and the Montgomery County Industrial Development Agency to hire union labor. The rally took place immediately preceding the latest town Planning Board meeting to discuss Beech-Nut's permits to build in the Florida Business Park on Route 5S. Union members packed the parking lot and carried signs asking for IDA reform and asking Beech-Nut not to hire out-of-state workers. Speakers took to the podium and talked with union members about the importance of keeping contract jobs local. Union leaders had been organizing the rally since learning Beech-Nut awarded a construction contract to Buckner Steel in North Carolina. New York state is providing Beech-Nut with $104.5 million in funding for the project, causing many at the meeting to question the awarding of a contract for the project to an out-of-state company. Frank Natalie of the Schenectady Central Labor Council said the awarding of the contracts to Buckner would mean the loss of 2,200 hours and around $1.1 million to local workers. Democrat Tracey Brooks, who is running for the 21st Congressional District seat being vacated by Michael McNulty at the end of the year, said the IDA needs to pay attention to what's going on in the local community more closely. She said it is a travesty it took a rally to attempt to get Beech-Nut and the IDA to do the right thing. Paul D. Tonko, a former state assemblyman who is expected to run for McNulty's seat, echoed Brooks' statements. He said he supports IDA reform and has tried to pass legislation in the state Assembly. Tonko said he would like Beech-Nut to commit to using union labor during construction and keeping union labor inside the factory. "This project is very important to retain jobs in this area," Tonko said. "But we must keep these jobs union in the facility and in the construction." During the Planning Board meeting, many union members spoke to the board about the importance of hiring local people and the need for the IDA to ensure all money spent in Montgomery County stays there. "I have been a union member for 25 years, and I have never had a job in my own community," said Hagaman resident Thomas Graveley, a member of Carpenters 370. "Getting a job like this would mean I wouldn't have to travel two hours each way to make a living." Mark Sowalski of the Empire Regional Council of Carpenters said he was in favor of the project and would love to see it go through provided they use local workers. Beech-Nut also had a chance to respond to the criticism during the meeting. Project Manager Jim Ivy said the group looked for the best possible candidate for the steel contract. He said company officials looked at safety, quality of work and history of finishing on schedule in making their decision to hire Buckner. Ivy said the group is committed to using local labor to build the new facility. He said they have an aggressive completion schedule that is getting tighter with each day the company isn't breaking ground. He said safety is a top priority for this project. Ivy works for the Facility Group in Symrna, Ga., which was hired by Beech-Nut to do the project. Union members countered they had proof Buckner has had deaths on work sites in the last few years. Iron Workers Business Representative Gary Simmons said the steel contractors he tried to get Beech-Nut to contract with had excellent safety records, but did not get a fair advantage because of the size of Buckner steel. Ivy said all bids have been competitive and open to local businesses. On its part, the Planning Board made no decisions on issuing permits Monday night. The board said some paperwork was not received until today, so the members did not have enough time to look over it. They scheduled a new meeting in order to look over everything until they had thoroughly read all received documents. The next Planning Board meeting will be May 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall, located at 214 Fort Hunter Road. By KERRY McAVOY, The Leader-Herald POSTED: May 6, 2008 Author: voc370 Keywords: UBC United Brotherhood Carpenters Union Iron Workers Labor Building Trades Picket Banner Action Wages Tax Incentives Added: May 8, 2008

Union Groups Call For Use of Local Workers on Project FLORIDA, NY — Chanting "local jobs for local people," more than 50 union members from across the region rallied Monday to ask Beech-Nut and the Montgomery County Industrial Development Agency to hire union labor. The rally took place immediately preceding the latest town Planning Board meeting to discuss Beech-Nut's permits to build in the Florida Business Park on Route 5S. Union members packed the parking lot and carried signs asking for IDA reform and asking Beech-Nut not to hire out-of-state workers. Speakers took to the podium and talked with union members about the importance of keeping contract jobs local. Union leaders had been organizing the rally since learning Beech-Nut awarded a construction contract to Buckner Steel in North Carolina. New York state is providing Beech-Nut with $104.5 million in funding for the project, causing many at the meeting to question the awarding of a contract for the project to an out-of-state company. Frank Natalie of the Schenectady Central Labor Council said the awarding of the contracts to Buckner would mean the loss of 2,200 hours and around $1.1 million to local workers. Democrat Tracey Brooks, who is running for the 21st Congressional District seat being vacated by Michael McNulty at the end of the year, said the IDA needs to pay attention to what's going on in the local community more closely. She said it is a travesty it took a rally to attempt to get Beech-Nut and the IDA to do the right thing. Paul D. Tonko, a former state assemblyman who is expected to run for McNulty's seat, echoed Brooks' statements. He said he supports IDA reform and has tried to pass legislation in the state Assembly. Tonko said he would like Beech-Nut to commit to using union labor during construction and keeping union labor inside the factory. "This project is very important to retain jobs in this area," Tonko said. "But we must keep these jobs union in the facility and in the construction." During the Planning Board meeting, many union members spoke to the board about the importance of hiring local people and the need for the IDA to ensure all money spent in Montgomery County stays there. "I have been a union member for 25 years, and I have never had a job in my own community," said Hagaman resident Thomas Graveley, a member of Carpenters 370. "Getting a job like this would mean I wouldn't have to travel two hours each way to make a living." Mark Sowalski of the Empire Regional Council of Carpenters said he was in favor of the project and would love to see it go through provided they use local workers. Beech-Nut also had a chance to respond to the criticism during the meeting. Project Manager Jim Ivy said the group looked for the best possible candidate for the steel contract. He said company officials looked at safety, quality of work and history of finishing on schedule in making their decision to hire Buckner. Ivy said the group is committed to using local labor to build the new facility. He said they have an aggressive completion schedule that is getting tighter with each day the company isn't breaking ground. He said safety is a top priority for this project. Ivy works for the Facility Group in Symrna, Ga., which was hired by Beech-Nut to do the project. Union members countered they had proof Buckner has had deaths on work sites in the last few years. Iron Workers Business Representative Gary Simmons said the steel contractors he tried to get Beech-Nut to contract with had excellent safety records, but did not get a fair advantage because of the size of Buckner steel. Ivy said all bids have been competitive and open to local businesses. On its part, the Planning Board made no decisions on issuing permits Monday night. The board said some paperwork was not received until today, so the members did not have enough time to look over it. They scheduled a new meeting in order to look over everything until they had thoroughly read all received documents. The next Planning Board meeting will be May 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall, located at 214 Fort Hunter Road. By KERRY McAVOY, The Leader-Herald POSTED: May 6, 2008 Author: voc370 Keywords: UBC United Brotherhood Carpenters Union Iron Workers Labor Building Trades Picket Banner Action Wages Tax Incentives Added: May 8, 2008

Union Groups Call For Use of Local Workers on Project FLORIDA, NY — Chanting "local jobs for local people," more than 50 union members from across the region rallied Monday to ask Beech-Nut and the Montgomery County Industrial Development Agency to hire union labor. The rally took place immediately preceding the latest town Planning Board meeting to discuss Beech-Nut's permits to build in the Florida Business Park on Route 5S. Union members packed the parking lot and carried signs asking for IDA reform and asking Beech-Nut not to hire out-of-state workers. Speakers took to the podium and talked with union members about the importance of keeping contract jobs local. Union leaders had been organizing the rally since learning Beech-Nut awarded a construction contract to Buckner Steel in North Carolina. New York state is providing Beech-Nut with $104.5 million in funding for the project, causing many at the meeting to question the awarding of a contract for the project to an out-of-state company. Frank Natalie of the Schenectady Central Labor Council said the awarding of the contracts to Buckner would mean the loss of 2,200 hours and around $1.1 million to local workers. Democrat Tracey Brooks, who is running for the 21st Congressional District seat being vacated by Michael McNulty at the end of the year, said the IDA needs to pay attention to what's going on in the local community more closely. She said it is a travesty it took a rally to attempt to get Beech-Nut and the IDA to do the right thing. Paul D. Tonko, a former state assemblyman who is expected to run for McNulty's seat, echoed Brooks' statements. He said he supports IDA reform and has tried to pass legislation in the state Assembly. Tonko said he would like Beech-Nut to commit to using union labor during construction and keeping union labor inside the factory. "This project is very important to retain jobs in this area," Tonko said. "But we must keep these jobs union in the facility and in the construction." During the Planning Board meeting, many union members spoke to the board about the importance of hiring local people and the need for the IDA to ensure all money spent in Montgomery County stays there. "I have been a union member for 25 years, and I have never had a job in my own community," said Hagaman resident Thomas Graveley, a member of Carpenters 370. "Getting a job like this would mean I wouldn't have to travel two hours each way to make a living." Mark Sowalski of the Empire Regional Council of Carpenters said he was in favor of the project and would love to see it go through provided they use local workers. Beech-Nut also had a chance to respond to the criticism during the meeting. Project Manager Jim Ivy said the group looked for the best possible candidate for the steel contract. He said company officials looked at safety, quality of work and history of finishing on schedule in making their decision to hire Buckner. Ivy said the group is committed to using local labor to build the new facility. He said they have an aggressive completion schedule that is getting tighter with each day the company isn't breaking ground. He said safety is a top priority for this project. Ivy works for the Facility Group in Symrna, Ga., which was hired by Beech-Nut to do the project. Union members countered they had proof Buckner has had deaths on work sites in the last few years. Iron Workers Business Representative Gary Simmons said the steel contractors he tried to get Beech-Nut to contract with had excellent safety records, but did not get a fair advantage because of the size of Buckner steel. Ivy said all bids have been competitive and open to local businesses. On its part, the Planning Board made no decisions on issuing permits Monday night. The board said some paperwork was not received until today, so the members did not have enough time to look over it. They scheduled a new meeting in order to look over everything until they had thoroughly read all received documents. The next Planning Board meeting will be May 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall, located at 214 Fort Hunter Road. By KERRY McAVOY, The Leader-Herald POSTED: May 6, 2008 Author: voc370 Keywords: UBC United Brotherhood Carpenters Union Iron Workers Labor Building Trades Picket Banner Action Wages Tax Incentives Added: May 8, 2008

Emma the Economics Expert talks about different types of labor and wages.

Egyptians have ignored calls for a nationwide strike on Sunday. This has been attributed to heavy security with threats of harsh punishment against striking employees and the pre-emptive 30 per cent increase in wages by President Mubarak four days ago. Inside Story asks if Egyptians tend to stay out of politics as long as there is food on the table or if they feel intimidated by the state. Author: AlJazeeraEnglish Keywords: aljazeera inside story egypt politics president hosni mubarak strikes protests wages Added: May 6, 2008

Egyptians have ignored calls for a nationwide strike on Sunday. This has been attributed to heavy security with threats of harsh punishment against striking employees and the pre-emptive 30 per cent increase in wages by President Mubarak four days ago. Inside Story asks if Egyptians tend to stay out of politics as long as there is food on the table or if they feel intimidated by the state. Author: AlJazeeraEnglish Keywords: aljazeera inside story egypt strike politics hosni mubarak protests wages president Added: May 6, 2008

Workers from Moscow to Istanbul to Manila demand higher wages.

What is it that takes place in the exchange between the capitalist and the wage-labor?The laborer receives means of subsistence in exchange for his labor-power; the capitalist receives, in exchange for his means of subsistence, labor, the productive activity of the laborer, the creative force by which the worker not only replaces what he consumes, but also gives to the accumulated labor a greater value than it previously possessed. The laborer gets from the capitalist a portion of the existing means of subsistence. For what purpose do these means of subsistence serve him? For immediate consumption. But as soon as I consume means of subsistence, they are irrevocably lost to me, unless I employ the time during which these means sustain my life in producing new means of subsistence, in creating by my labor new values in place of the values lost in consumption. But it is just this noble reproductive power that the laborer surrenders to the capitalist in exchange for means of subsistence received. Consequently, he has lost it for himself.Let us take an example. For one shilling a laborer works all day long in the fields of a farmer, to whom he thus secures a return of two shillings. The farmer not only receives the replaced value which he has given to the day laborer, he has doubled it. Therefore, he has consumed the one shilling that he gave to the day laborer in a fruitful, productive manner. For the one shilling he has bought the labor-power of the day-laborer, which creates products of the soil of twice the value, and out of one shilling makes two. The day-laborer, on the contrary, receives in the place of his productive force, whose results he has just surrendered to the farmer, one shilling, which he exchanges for means of subsistence, which he consumes more or less quickly. The one shilling has therefore been consumed in a double manner reproductively for the capitalist, for it has been exchanged for labor-power, which brought forth two shillings; unproductively for the worker, for it has been exchanged for means of subsistence which are lost for ever, and whose value he can obtain again only by repeating the same exchange with the farmer. Capital therefore presupposes wage-labor; wage-labor presupposes capital. They condition each other; each brings the other into existence.Does a worker in a cotton factory produce only cotton? No. He produces capital. He produces values which serve anew to command his work and to create by means of it new values.Capital can multiply itself only by exchanging itself for labor-power, by calling wage-labor into life. The labor-power of the wage-laborer can exchange itself for capital only by increasing capital, by strengthening that very power whose slave it is. Increase of capital, therefore, is increase of the proletariat, i.e., of the working class.And so, the bourgeoisie and its economists maintain that the interest of the capitalist and of the laborer is the same. And in fact, so they are! The worker perishes if capital does not keep him busy. Capital perishes if it does not exploit labor-power, which, in order to exploit, it must buy. The more quickly the capital destined for production the productive capital increases, the more prosperous industry is, the more the bourgeoisie enriches itself, the better business gets, so many more workers does the capitalist need, so much the dearer does the worker sell himself. The fastest possible growth of productive capital is, therefore, the indispensable condition for a tolerable life to the laborer.But what is growth of productive capital? Growth of the power of accumulated labor over living labor; growth of the rule of the bourgeoisie over the working class. When wage-labor produces the alien wealth dominating it, the power hostile to it, capital, there flow back to it its means of employment i.e., its means of subsistence, under the condition that it again become a part of capital, that is become again the lever whereby capital is to be forced into an accelerated expansive movement.To say that the interests of capital and the interests of the workers are identical, signifies only this: that capital and wage-labor are two sides of one and the same relation. The one conditions the other in the same way that the usurer and the borrower condition each other.As long as the wage-laborer remains a wage-laborer, his lost is dependent upon capital. That is what the boasted community of interests between worker and capitalists amounts to.If capital grows, the mass of wage-labor grows, the number of wage-workers increases; in a word, the sway of capital extends over a greater mass of individuals.Let us suppose the most favorable case: if productive capital grows, the demand for labor grows. It therefore increases the price of labor-power, wages.A house may be large or small; as long as the neighboring houses are likewise small, it satisfies all social requirement for a residence. But let there arise next to the little house a palace, and the little house shrinks to a hut. The little house now makes it clear that its inmate has no social position at all to maintain, or but a very insignificant one; and however high it may shoot up in the course of civilization, if the neighboring palace rises in equal of even in greater measure, the occupant of the relatively little house will always find himself more uncomfortable, more dissatisfied, more cramped within his four walls.An appreciable rise in wages presupposes a rapid growth of productive capital. Rapid growth of productive capital calls forth just as rapid a growth of wealth, of luxury, of social needs and social pleasures. Therefore, although the pleasures of the laborer have increased, the social gratification which they afford has fallen in comparison with the increased pleasures of the capitalist, which are inaccessible to the worker, in comparison with the stage of development of society in general. Our wants and pleasures have their origin in society; we therefore measure them in relation to society; we do not measure them in relation to the objects which serve for their gratification. Since they are of a social nature, they are of a relative nature.But wages are not at all determined merely by the sum of commodities for which they may be exchanged. Other factors enter into the problem. What the workers directly receive for their labor-power is a certain sum of money. Are wages determined merely by this money price?In the 16th century, the gold and silver circulation in Europe increased in consequence of the discovery of richer and more easily worked mines in America. The value of gold and silver, therefore, fell in relation to other commodities. The workers received the same amount of coined silver for their labor-power as before. The money price of their work remained the same, and yet their wages had fallen, for in exchange for the same amount of silver they obtained a smaller amount of other commodities. This was one of the circumstances which furthered the growth of capital, the rise of the bourgeoisie, in the 18th century.Let us take another case. In the winter of 1847, in consequence of bad harvest, the most indispensable means of subsistence grains, meat, butter, cheese, etc. rose greatly in price. Let us suppose that the workers still received the same sum of money for their labor-power as before. Did not their wages fall? To be sure. For the same money they received in exchange less bread, meat, etc. Their wages fell, not because the value of silver was less, but because the value of the means of subsistence had increased.Finally, let us suppose that the money price of labor-power remained the same, while all agricultural and manufactured commodities had fallen in price because of the employment of new machines, of favorable seasons, etc. For the same money the workers could now buy more commodities of all kinds. Their wages have therefore risen, just because their money value has not changed.The money price of labor-power, the nominal wages, do not therefore coincide with the actual or real wages i.e., with the amount of commodities which are actually given in exchange for the wages. If then we speak of a rise or fall of wages, we have to keep in mind not only the money price of labor-power, the nominal wages, but also the real wages.But neither the nominal wages i.e., the amount of money for which the laborer sells himself to the capitalist nor the real wages i.e., the amount of commodities which he can buy for this money exhausts the relations which are comprehended in the term wages.Wages are determined above all by their relations to the gain, the profit, of the capitalist. In other words, wages are a proportionate, relative quantity.Real wages express the price of labor-power in relation to the price of commodities; relative wages, on the other hand, express the share of immediate labor in the value newly created by it, in relation to the share of it which falls to accumulated labor, to capital.

Capital consists of raw materials, instruments of labor, and means of subsistence of all kinds, which are employed in producing new raw materials, new instruments, and new means of subsistence. All these components of capital are created by labor, products of labor, accumulated labor. Accumulated labor that serves as a means to new production is capital. So says the economists. What is a Negro slave? A man of the black race. The one explanation is worthy of the other. A Negro is a Negro. Only under certain conditions does he become a slave. A cotton-spinning machine is a machine for spinning cotton. Only under certain conditions does it become capital. Torn away from these conditions, it is as little capital as gold is itself money, or sugar is the price of sugar. In the process of production, human beings work not only upon nature, but also upon one another. They produce only by working together in a specified manner and reciprocally exchanging their activities. In order to produce, they enter into definite connections and relations to one another, and only within these social connections and relations does their influence upon nature operate i.e., does production take place. These social relations between the producers, and the conditions under which they exchange their activities and share in the total act of production, will naturally vary according to the character of the means of production. With the discover of a new instrument of warfare, the firearm, the whole internal organization of the army was necessarily altered, the relations within which individuals compose an army and can work as an army were transformed, and the relation of different armies to another was likewise changed. We thus see that the social relations within which individuals produce, the social relations of production, are altered, transformed, with the change and development of the material means of production, of the forces of production. The relations of production in their totality constitute what is called the social relations, society, and, moreover, a society at a definite stage of historical development, a society with peculiar, distinctive characteristics. Ancient society, feudal society, bourgeois (or capitalist) society, are such totalities of relations of production, each of which denotes a particular stage of development in the history of mankind. Capital also is a social relation of production. It is a bourgeois relation of production, a relation of production of bourgeois society. The means of subsistence, the instruments of labor, the raw materials, of which capital consists have they not been produced and accumulated under given social conditions, within definite special relations? Are they not employed for new production, under given special conditions, within definite social relations? And does not just the definite social character stamp the products which serve for new production as capital? Capital consists not only of means of subsistence, instruments of labor, and raw materials, not only as material products; it consists just as much of exchange values. All products of which it consists are commodities. Capital, consequently, is not only a sum of material products, it is a sum of commodities, of exchange values, of social magnitudes. Capital remains the same whether we put cotton in the place of wool, rice in the place of wheat, steamships in the place of railroads, provided only that the cotton, the rice, the steamships the body of capital have the same exchange value, the same price, as the wool, the wheat, the railroads, in which it was previously embodied. The bodily form of capital may transform itself continually, while capital does not suffer the least alteration. But though every capital is a sum of commodities i.e., of exchange values it does not follow that every sum of commodities, of exchange values, is capital. Every sum of exchange values is an exchange value. Each particular exchange value is a sum of exchange values. For example: a house worth 1,000 pounds is an exchange value of 1,000 pounds: a piece of paper worth one penny is a sum of exchange values of 100 1/100ths of a penny. Products which are exchangeable for others are commodities. The definite proportion in which they are exchangeable forms their exchange value, or, expressed in money, their price. The quantity of these products can have no effect on their character as commodities, as representing an exchange value , as having a certain price. Whether a tree be large or small, it remains a tree. Whether we exchange iron in pennyweights or in hundredweights, for other products, does this alter its character: its being a commodity, or exchange value? According to the quantity, it is a commodity of greater or of lesser value, of higher or of lower price. How then does a sum of commodities, of exchange values, become capital? Thereby, that as an independent social power i.e., as the power of a part of society it preserves itself and multiplies by exchange with direct, living labor-power. The existence of a class which possess nothing but the ability to work is a necessary presupposition of capital. It is only the dominion of past, accumulated, materialized labor over immediate living labor that stamps